U.S.-S.Korea military exercises to start after Paralympics -Mattis

Reuters Staff

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WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday played down a delay of U.S.-South Korean military exercises, saying they would resume after the conclusion of the March 9-18 Paralympics and that their postponement was simply due to logistical concerns.

Mattis, speaking to Pentagon reporters, also credited international pressure on North Korea over its nuclear weapons and missile programs for Pyongyang’s offer of talks with the South. But he added that it was too soon to say whether the North Korean gesture was meaningful.

“I wouldn’t read too much into it because we don’t know if it’s a genuine olive branch,” Mattis said. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by James Dalgleish)